Aircraft device



June 25, 1929. H. F. PITCAIRN AIRCRAFT DEVICE Filed Dec- 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M 07/ gay, B Y

A TTORNE Y5 June 25, 1929. H. F. PITCAIRN 1.718.577

AIRCRAFT DEVICE Filed DeC. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C 2 IN VENTOR BY L? {I N ATTORNEY5 a... a... 25,1929. 1 1,718,577 uru'rsu STATES PATENT orrlca;

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AIRCRAFT DEVICE.

- Application Med December 12, 1825. Serial No. 74,941.

his invention has reference to an im- Extending upwardly from the fuselage 1 provement in aircraft devices, particularly I provide an arrangement of drivin shafts such as have revolving wings or vanes driven one of which, 5 projects upward t hru an by motive power or by other means such as other one 6, which latter is tubular in form.

5 the reaction of the air upon the wings, the Attached to the shaft 5 is a hub 7 for driv- G0 longitudinal propelling force being othering a pair of wings 9 while attached to the i 1i d shaft 6 is a hub 8 arranged to drive an- These revolving wings or vanes are driven other pair of wings 10 in an opposite diby shafts which are approximately vertical motion. 10 but provided with means for tilting them as The wings may be pivotally carried by 05 desired. the hubs as indicated at 11 or if preferred The first of the objects of my present inmay be rigidly secured to the hubs as I provention is the revision of a device of the vide them with a certain degree of flexibilcharacter speci ed in which I have arranged ity giving them a movement between the the wing so that it will be flexible and will two lines 12 and 13 in Fig. 2, the parts be 71) I at the same time be capable of support in ing held in operative position during rotaposition for operation by means of cention by means of the centrifugal force which trifugal force of the rotation in conjunction is augmented by the weight 14 placed at the with the action of the air against it or a tip of the wing and secured by the retaining ower driving mechanism which mechanism cord 15 which in the structure shown in Fig. 75 is'preferably connected at or near the cen- 1 passes thru the ribs 16, there being a t f t ti somewhat flexible additional support pro- A further object of the invention is the vlded in the arrangement of Fig. 1 by the provision of an aircraft in which the several use of rods 17 which may be of bamboo or pgrts of which the wing is composed will fi x bl'e steel tubing, the purpose of these 80 maintained in relative andcperative porods being in this arrangement to keep the sition by centrifugal force. 'tlpls of'the wings fromsagging too much A further object of my invention is the w en they are not rotating. provision of means for taking care of the As indicated in Fig. 2 it will be seen that wing parts .when centrifu al force is not have provideda bevelled gear 18 for driv- S5 operative as is the case w on the rotative mg the shaft 6 on which is mounted the ti comes t an d, lower wing or plane and another bevelled In order that my improvement will be betgear 19 for drivmg the shaft'5 on which is ter understood, I will proceed to describe mounted the plane constituting the upper the same in connection with the accompanypair of wings 9. Both of these bevelled o ing drawin s in which I have illustrated it gears receive motion from the power device in referre form and in which or motor 20.

ig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine Referrlng to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen embodying my improvements; that I have therein shown a flexible wing Fig. 2 1s a side elevation of the same; composed of a plurality of telescopically dis- Fig. 3 is a pers ective view of one of the posed parts 21, 21, 21 etc., these being held double wing mem ers showing the arrangeby the cord 22 in operative positionas shown ment of parts in one form of my flexible in Fig. 4 when the weights 14 are pulling plane; outward by the action of centrifugal force.

4 Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a modified The arrangement shown in these Figures 4 100 form of the improvement with the several and 5 is provided with retraction cords 23 wing parts arranged to telescope one withconstructed to be wound around a drum 24 in the other; and when the latter is caused to stop rotating Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the teleby setting out the shoes 25 which exert friescopic'parts drawn into retracted position. tional resistance such as will utilize the 1 5 Referring now more particularly to Fig. momentum of the revolving motion of the 1 it will be seen that 'I havetherein indiwing p rts in wrapping the cords 23 around eated at 1 the fuselage of an airplane-device the drum as the result of which the wings provided with wheels 2 and a vertical rud-' when the machine comes to rest are drawn der 3 and horizontal elevator 4. into the position shown in Figure 5. The

art26 is stationar the other parts revolvmg around it and t e drum 2 4, when its rotation is stopped, acts to wind -'u the cords 23 only.when the shoes 25 are t rowri into action by some suitable mechanism, not. shown in detail.

If the wings are semi-flexible I may provide as a supplemental means for carrying the weight of the wings or planes when not rotating elastic cords such as indicated at 27. If the wings are fully flexible this will not apply.

It Will be observed that while the weight of the wings themselves together with the tip weight 14 will act to provide a centrifugal strain that will hold the parts in operative position during rotation, pulling on the cords 15, any gyroscopic effect of the a paratus will be neutralized by one of t e pairs of wings revolving in a dlrection opposite to the other. On Fig. 2 I have indicated by the lines 28 and .29 a d me of tilting movement of the vertical driving shaft which may. be obtained thru 'proper manipulation of the elevator vanes the efi'ectbemg where the machine is tilted in a direction of the line 28 to move the plane forward. As the vertical axis approaches the line 29 the tendency will be, of course, to arrest the forwardmovement, as in landin 'It will relation to each other, t e weight acting observed that the forces exerted .by the air will cause the arts to flex with thru centrifugal action to hold the assembled units inoperative position.

I claim '1."'A rotatively mounted longitudinally flexible wing. for aircraft which is held in operative position by the centrifugal force of its rotative movement.

2. An improvement in aircraft devices comprisin a longitudinally flexible wing mounted or rotation, and power mechanism for rotating said wing connected at or near its center of rotation.

3. An improvement in aircraft devices com rising in combination a longitudinally flexi le wing constructed to be held in operative position by centrifugal force, and power dllvllf means for actuating said wing.

4. 11 improvement in aircraft devices comprising in combination a' flexible wing, means for driving said wing, and weights whereby the rotative movement of the wing holds it in operative position.

5. An improvement in aircraft devices comprising in combination a flexible wing, means associated therewith for restraining centrifugal force and power mechanism for actuating said wing.

6. In an aircraft device a rotatably mounted wing free to flex longitudinally from its normal. operating form by the action of the air upon it.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

" HAROLD F. PITCAIRN. 

